Scouting Report: What Ole Miss can expect from Oklahoma this weekend
Oxford, Miss. – The No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels will travel to Norman this weekend and face the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners, coming off a heartbreaking 43-35 loss against Georgia.
Although Oklahoma’s offense isn’t as dynamic as Georgia’s, the Rebs will face arguably the most disciplined defense in the country, led by Brent Venables.
Oklahoma Defense
The OU defense ranks as the No. 1 team in total defense nationwide, allowing just 213 yards per game. Diving deeper into their metrics, the Sooners’ defense has also found itself in the top three percentiles on first and third down, suffocating and dismantling opposing offenses.
Across the middle of the field, Venable’s linebacker corps consists of four players who’ve all recorded 25 or more total tackles. Similarly, on the defensive line, there are four players with two or more sacks: R Mason Thomas, Taylor Wein, Jayden Jackson, and Gracen Halton.Â
In addition to having an elite pass rush, the OU secondary has also been phenomenal, limiting opposing quarterbacks to less than 130 passing yards a game.
Ole Miss’s ability to establish the run with not only Kewan Lacy but also Trinidad Chambliss is going to be vital to the success of Lane Kiffin’s offense on Saturday.
Bring the 🧃 pic.twitter.com/2f4k2y9BS6
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 22, 2025
Oklahoma Offense
On the other side of the ball, John Mateer has led the way for the Sooners despite having thumb surgery, which took place in late September.
Not only is the Washington State transfer effective in the air, but he also leads the team in rushing touchdowns with five.
Alongside Mateer in the backfield is Tory Blaylock, a true freshman who’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Though he’s been successful, Blaylock has only run the ball 87 times, compared to Kewan Lacy for Ole Miss, who has 138 rushing attempts.
John Mateer has 19 yards rushing on 22 carries over past 2 games. If OU’s going to make a run, his legs have to be a factor. pic.twitter.com/mH0tljpcnu
— Max Browne (@MaxBrowne4) October 22, 2025
Looking at the receivers, Mateer’s go-to man downfield is Isaiah Sategna III, who’s collected 493 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the year. Rebel fans can expect him to be moved around to various positions in the offense while being a major red zone threat.
The final aspect of the offense is the big men up front, who are facing numerous injury scares and a lack of depth at this point. According to the Wednesday report, three offensive linemen are out, with two being questionable. It’s important to remember that Ole Miss also faced one of the best O-lines in the SEC last weekend, which hopefully prepares them for Saturday.
All in all, Pete Golding needs to find a way to contain Mateer and limit explosive passing plays down the field. At the same time, the defensive line is going to have to adjust from the Georgia game and find a way to get pressure on Mateer.
Kickoff is slated for 11 am and will be streamed on ABC. Be sure to stay tuned with The Rebel Walk. Hotty Toddy and go Rebs.
